Hepatitis A and C can be easily confused, but their differences are very real.
For instance, Hepatitis C (HCV) often presents no visible symptoms for decades. While HCV infects over 3.2 million, while most sufferers do not even know that they have the disease.
Chronic infection with HCV can last a lifetime, leading to serious consequences including liver scarring, cancer and death.
However, Hepatitis C IS curable, so it's important for people to know whether or not they carry the condition.
Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus.
You're most likely contract hepatitis A from contaminated food, water, or from close contact with someone who's infected. Most people recover with no permanent liver damage, although it can turn into chronic hepatitis, which is a severe illness lasting several months.
In April, 2013 a Hepatitis A outbreak spread across the nation. The outbreak was linked to Townsend Farms Organic antioxidant frozen berry/pomegranate mix.
Dr. Lisa Oldson, MD, explains what you need to know about these tricky illnesses, including the symptoms, treatment options and why age-based screening is so important.
Learn the Differences Between Hepatitis C and A
Hepatitis A and C can be easily confused, but their differences are very real. Learn what you can do to protect yourself from both.
Additional Info
- Segment Number: 2
- Audio File: staying_well/1324sw5b.mp3
- Featured Speaker: Lisa Oldson, MD
- Guest Website: Sexual Health
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Guest Bio:
Lisa Oldson, MD, has been practicing internal medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago since 1998. She earned her BS at the University of Illinois, and her MD from Rush Medical College. She is board certified in Internal Medicine.
Dr. Oldson served on the Leadership Council and Joint Operations Leadership Committee of Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group, a primary care multi-specialty group of 125 physicians and other providers and has served as the Medical Director of their Call Center.
Dr. Oldson served on the Medical Advisory Board for the Discovery Institute of Medical Education and is a former board member of the Illinois Science Council.
In 2009, Dr. Oldson was recruited by Analyte Health, and was later named their Medical Director. She strives to improve sexual health through education and a modern online approach to medical services. - Length (mins): 10
- Waiver Received: Yes
- Host: Melanie Cole, MS
Published in
Staying Well